Osteopathy at Neals' Yard Covent Garden, Hatton Garden and Sidcup, Kent.

Osteopathy is an established, recognised system of diagnosis and treatment that lays its main emphasis on the structural integrity of the body. It is distinctive in the fact that it recognises much of the pain and disability we suffer from stems from abnormalities in the function of the body structure as well as the damage caused to it by disease.

Osteopathy uses many of the diagnostic procedures used in conventional medical assessment and diagnosis. Its main strength, however, lies in the unique way the patient is assessed from a mechanical, functional and postural standpoint and the manual methods of treatment applied to suit the needs of the individual patient. .

Osteopathy is a safe, effective treatment for a wide variety of complaints. Some of the conditions most commonly treated by osteopaths include:

• Low back pain
• Neck pain
• Headaches
• Joint pain
• Sports injury
• Arthritic pain
• Repetitive strain injury
• Whiplash

Visiting an Osteopath
When you visit an osteopath for the first time a full case history will be taken and you will be given an examination. You will normally be asked to remove some of your clothing and to perform a simple series of movements. The osteopath will then use his or her highly developed sense of touch, called palpation, to identify any points of weakness of excessive strain throughout the body. The osteopath may need additional investigations such as x-ray or blood tests. This will allow a full diagnosis and suitable treatment plan to be developed with you. Osteopathy is patient centred, which means that the treatment is geared to you as an individual.

Osteopaths use their hands both to investigate the underlying causes of pain and to carry out treatment using a variety of manipulative techniques. These may include muscle and connective tissue stretching, rhythmic joint movements or high velocity thrust techniques to improve the range of movement of a joint. Gentle releasing techniques are often used, particularly when treating children or elderly patients.

Osteopathy for babies and children

The cranial approach uses very gentle techniques in which the osteopath’s highly trained sense of touch is used to identify and correct mechanical disturbances and limitations, both in and around the joints for the skull and around the body. It can help a wide range of patients with conditions including glue ear, migraine and dizziness, and for babies, the after effects of difficult deliveries. By gently releasing tension in the baby’s body, the osteopath can often relieve discomfort which might otherwise be attributed to colic or fretfulness.

The small amounts of movement that exist in the infant skull permit the baby’s head to adapt to the forces of labour. However when birth is complicated by being unduly slow or fast, or when other complications occur such as the need for forceps delivery the infant head may not recover from the distortion. This may result in subtle changes in function leading to problems such as feeding difficulties, colic and disturbed sleep patterns.

The gentle, skilful application of osteopathic treatment by an osteopath experienced in treating babies can often bring about significant improvement in these distressing cases, and is increasingly being considered as the treatment of choice for some conditions caused by difficult or traumatic birth.

Osteopathy and Patient Protection

Osteopaths are trained to recognise and treat many causes of pain. Osteopathy is an established system of diagnosis and manual treatment that is recognised by the British Medical Association as a discrete clinical discipline. For the last sixty years, osteopaths have worked within a system of voluntary regulation that set standards of training and practice.

In 1993, Osteopathy became the first major complementary health care profession to be accorded statutory recognition under the 1993 Osteopaths act. This culminated in the opening of the statutory register of Osteopaths by the General Osteopathic Council in 1998. Only those practitioners able to show they have been in the safe and competent practice of osteopathy are allowed on to the register. All registered osteopaths have medical malpractice insurance and follow a strict code of conduct. Patients have the same safeguards as when currently they consult a doctor or a dentist.

Eileen Fox - Registered Osteopath:

Clinic addresses

Neal's Yard Therapy Rooms
2 Neal's Yard
Covent Garden
London
WC2H 9DP
Phone: 020 7379 7662
Email: eileenfoxost@aol.com

Birkbeck Natural Health Centre
45 Birkbeck Road
Sidcup
Kent
DA14 4DB
Phone: 020 8302 2624/8309 6497, Fax: 020 8302 5511